The Black Math Experiment
Encyclopedia
The Black Math Experiment is a band described as a unique blend of 1980s synth pop and new wave music
with similarities to “The B-52's
crossed with Berlin
, The Dead Milkmen, and Talking Heads
.” Based in Houston
, Texas
in 2004, the band is known for their offbeat pop songs with irreverent or strange lyrics (for example, "Evil Wizard Jesus"). They are known for elaborate live shows that integrate multimedia such as televisions endlessly running odd videos, evangelical-like pamphlets and baptisms, Christmas presents, and a toilet paper cannon, all led by the inexhaustible energy of lead singer Jef With One F (Jef Rouner). They received notoriety with their song, “You Cannot Kill David Arquette”.
, Texas
in 2004 with Curtner on guitar
, Captain Mongo Nelson (Captain Matthew Nelson) on bass guitar
, Brian Coleman on drums
(2004-), Chris Soliz on keyboards
/synthesizer
s and Jef With One F (Jef Rouner) and Christi Lain singing lead vocals. The band was formed from the remnants of a previous band called Cosmonaut Down with Lain and Jef replacing the previous lead vocalist. The Black Math Experiment debuted at a club called Helios in Houston on December 18, 2004. The following year they put out their debut EP, What We Do... Is Secret.
The band rose to notoriety with its 2005 release Fake Words and Signs From Space. The release's eponymous track is the band's most popular downloaded single. Notably, it also featured the sarcastic song "You Cannot Kill David Arquette", which was inspired by Curtner’s fascination with the resiliency of Arquette’s movie characters. This song led to an informal collaboration with the object of the song and a makeshift Arquette altar at live shows. A second single, "Laugh Track", became the theme music for the Dial-A-Joke segment on British KidsCastUK. In a review, Joey Guerra
of the Houston Chronicle described the band as a “snappy, sarcastic sextet” “equal parts neo-new wave rock outfit, irreverent comedy troupe and kitschy musical theater act.”
Their next release in November 2006, Last Transmission from the Blue Room, was well-received by critics, seeming “a natural progression for the band.” The album included a re-recording of the Arquette song as well as a cover of "Science Fiction/Double Feature
" from the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show
. It also featured a remix of the song "Ruler of the Rock Robots (A Love Story)" by Asmodeus X
, retitled "Ruler of the Trance Robots". Following the album's completion, Chris Soliz left the group as a full-time member to pursue other projects, but remains an occasional collaborator.
Starting late in 2006, Black Math Experiment songs such as "Ohio" regularly began making the playlists of Houston area radio stations such as KPFT
and KTRU.
In 2008, the band won the Houston Press
Music Award for "Best Unclassifiable Band".
The band’s 2005 song "You Cannot Kill David Arquette" was commended by its subject, David Arquette
, who sent the band a box of gourmet cupcakes in thanks and much later, the 1965 Ford Econoline van used in his movie The Tripper
. Since then, Arquette has occasionally promoted the band, including during an interview on MTV
’s Total Request Live
(TRL). On March 27, 2007, during a national tour to promote The Tripper, the actor stopped in Houston to promote the band and joined them onstage in a performance.
The band's music was later used to accompany the B-roll
in the DVD release of the film.
band, The Abyss, and founded a second band with Jef With One F called The Ghost of Cliff Burton in 2009. In 2004, Jef With One F recorded " Wicked Little Town (Reprise)
" with Asmodeus X
for a production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch
.
Other Interviews and Articles
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
with similarities to “The B-52's
The B-52's
The B-52's are an American rock band, formed in Athens, Georgia in 1976. The original line-up consisted of Fred Schneider , Kate Pierson , Cindy Wilson , Ricky Wilson , and Keith Strickland . Following Ricky Wilson's death in 1985 Strickland switched to guitar...
crossed with Berlin
Berlin (band)
Berlin is an American New Wave/Synthpop band. The group was formed in Los Angeles in 1978 by John Crawford . The band contained Crawford, Terri Nunn , David Diamond , Ric Olsen , Matt Reid and Rod Learned . Learned left during the first EU tour and was replaced by Rob Brill...
, The Dead Milkmen, and Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
.” Based in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 2004, the band is known for their offbeat pop songs with irreverent or strange lyrics (for example, "Evil Wizard Jesus"). They are known for elaborate live shows that integrate multimedia such as televisions endlessly running odd videos, evangelical-like pamphlets and baptisms, Christmas presents, and a toilet paper cannon, all led by the inexhaustible energy of lead singer Jef With One F (Jef Rouner). They received notoriety with their song, “You Cannot Kill David Arquette”.
History
The Black Math Experiment was founded by Bill Curtner in HoustonHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in 2004 with Curtner on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, Captain Mongo Nelson (Captain Matthew Nelson) on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Brian Coleman on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(2004-), Chris Soliz on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
/synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s and Jef With One F (Jef Rouner) and Christi Lain singing lead vocals. The band was formed from the remnants of a previous band called Cosmonaut Down with Lain and Jef replacing the previous lead vocalist. The Black Math Experiment debuted at a club called Helios in Houston on December 18, 2004. The following year they put out their debut EP, What We Do... Is Secret.
The band rose to notoriety with its 2005 release Fake Words and Signs From Space. The release's eponymous track is the band's most popular downloaded single. Notably, it also featured the sarcastic song "You Cannot Kill David Arquette", which was inspired by Curtner’s fascination with the resiliency of Arquette’s movie characters. This song led to an informal collaboration with the object of the song and a makeshift Arquette altar at live shows. A second single, "Laugh Track", became the theme music for the Dial-A-Joke segment on British KidsCastUK. In a review, Joey Guerra
Joey Guerra
Joey Guerra is the pop music critic for the Houston Chronicle, one of the ten largest papers in the U.S. Born June 16, 1974 in Houston, Texas. He is a prolific writer, covering the major genres and the Houston/Texas music scene...
of the Houston Chronicle described the band as a “snappy, sarcastic sextet” “equal parts neo-new wave rock outfit, irreverent comedy troupe and kitschy musical theater act.”
Their next release in November 2006, Last Transmission from the Blue Room, was well-received by critics, seeming “a natural progression for the band.” The album included a re-recording of the Arquette song as well as a cover of "Science Fiction/Double Feature
Science Fiction/Double Feature
"Science Fiction/Double Feature" is the opening song to the original 1973 musical stage production, The Rocky Horror Show as well as its 1975 film counterpart The Rocky Horror Picture Show, book, music and lyrics by Richard O'Brien, musical arrangements by Richard Hartley...
" from the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
. It also featured a remix of the song "Ruler of the Rock Robots (A Love Story)" by Asmodeus X
Asmodeus X
Asmodeus X is an American electro-industrial band whose music is frequently characterized as a mixture of EBM and darkwave and typically includes the use of environmental sampling. Their style is said to be influenced by the music of Laibach, Kraftwerk, Death in June, and Front 242, among others...
, retitled "Ruler of the Trance Robots". Following the album's completion, Chris Soliz left the group as a full-time member to pursue other projects, but remains an occasional collaborator.
Starting late in 2006, Black Math Experiment songs such as "Ohio" regularly began making the playlists of Houston area radio stations such as KPFT
KPFT
KPFT is a listener-sponsored community radio station in Houston, Texas, which went on the air on March 1, 1970 as the fourth station in the Pacifica radio family. Larry Lee sold the idea to Pacifica to establish listener-supported radio in Houston as an alternative to main-stream broadcasting. The...
and KTRU.
In 2008, the band won the Houston Press
Houston Press
The Houston Press is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in Downtown Houston....
Music Award for "Best Unclassifiable Band".
The Black Math Experiment and David Arquette
David Arquette
David Arquette is an American actor, film director, producer, screenwriter, fashion designer, and occasional professional wrestler. A member of the Arquette acting family, he first became known during the mid 1990s after starring in several Hollywood films, such as the Scream series, Wild Bill and...
, who sent the band a box of gourmet cupcakes in thanks and much later, the 1965 Ford Econoline van used in his movie The Tripper
The Tripper
The Tripper is a 2007 slasher film which was directed by David Arquette and stars Jaime King, Thomas Jane and Lukas Haas.-Synopsis:The film is a nostalgic homage to the exploitation films of Wes Craven and Tobe Hooper that follows a group of free-loving hippies who escape to a modern-day Woodstock...
. Since then, Arquette has occasionally promoted the band, including during an interview on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
’s Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
(TRL). On March 27, 2007, during a national tour to promote The Tripper, the actor stopped in Houston to promote the band and joined them onstage in a performance.
The band's music was later used to accompany the B-roll
B-roll
B-roll, B roll, or Broll is the supplemental or alternate footage intercut with the main shot in an interview or documentary.- History :The term B-roll originates from the method of 16 mm film production from an original camera negative...
in the DVD release of the film.
Side projects
Curtner splits time with the Houston-based alternative rockAlternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band, The Abyss, and founded a second band with Jef With One F called The Ghost of Cliff Burton in 2009. In 2004, Jef With One F recorded " Wicked Little Town (Reprise)
Wicked Little Town
"Wicked Little Town" is a song from the off-Broadway musical, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and the subsequent film adaptation. Composed by Stephen Trask, the song is a poetic reflection on the doomed love between two of the characters, Hedwig and Tommy Gnosis.-Summary and context:The original song is...
" with Asmodeus X
Asmodeus X
Asmodeus X is an American electro-industrial band whose music is frequently characterized as a mixture of EBM and darkwave and typically includes the use of environmental sampling. Their style is said to be influenced by the music of Laibach, Kraftwerk, Death in June, and Front 242, among others...
for a production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (musical)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a rock musical about a fictional rock and roll band fronted by an East German transgender singer. The text is by John Cameron Mitchell, and the music and lyrics are by Stephen Trask. The musical premiered in 1998 and has been performed throughout the world in hundreds...
.
Current
- Jef With One F (Jef Rouner)– lead vocals, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(2004-) - Christi Lain – lead vocals, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(2004-) - Bill Curtner – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals (2004-) - Brian Coleman – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(2004-)
Former
- Chris Soliz – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, synthesizers (2004-2006) - Captain Mongo Nelson (Captain Matthew Nelson)– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals (2004-2007) - Justin Nemeti – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2007-2008)
Albums and EPs
- What We Do... Is Secret (E.P.), 2005
- Fake Words and Signs From Space, 2005
- Last Transmission from the Blue Room, 2006
- Live From the Five Minute Hallway, Vol. 1, 2007
- All You Need is Blood, 2007
Compilation appearances
- "Lost (Acoustic version)", Make It Matter, (various artists), 2008 – Make Music Matter
External links
Official sitesOther Interviews and Articles
- Interview with The Daily Cougar
- Audio interview by The Houston Chronicle
- Interview with the band on their song “You Cannot Kill David Arquette” and his cupcakes
- Interview with lead singer Jef
- Profile of The Black Math Experiment by Austin Sound
- Houston Chronicle’s Andrew Dansby Compares “You Cannot Kill David Arquette” to Similar Genre Songs
- Podcast Interview with BME by Mikeypod.com